


You've Got a Friend in Me

by eschscholzia



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Best Friends, Churros, Crack, Disney World & Disneyland, Don't copy to another site, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-22
Updated: 2019-06-22
Packaged: 2020-05-16 16:15:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19321678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eschscholzia/pseuds/eschscholzia
Summary: Bucky, Nat, and Sam take a detour to Disneyland for free time after a mission. Everything's going well, except there's only one problem: they can't get the cute stuffed animal magnet unstuck from Bucky's arm.





	You've Got a Friend in Me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [chissprincess](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chissprincess/gifts), [Kippur](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kippur/gifts).



The ribbon-cutting for the Howard and Maria Stark Wing of the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles was a success. Tony’s speech was covered by all the news media and all the right people came in person to hear it. Afterward, the Avengers met with the kids and posed for selfies and made jokes. Natasha and Sam were the best at it. Bucky always felt a little self-conscious. He spent the time talking to a small boy he found sitting by himself in the corner while the others made the rounds. The boy’s face was ashen under his dark skin; too pale.

They were deep in conversation about the Dodgers’ latest home stand when Bucky felt someone standing behind him.

“Ready to go?”

Bucky looked up. It was Tony. “Umm… okay.” He turned back to his new friend. “I gotta go back to work, but it’s been good talking to you.”

The little boy nodded. Bucky held out his fist; the boy bumped it back.

The Quinjet was parked outside on the hospital’s helipad. They waved to everyone one last time and then strode purposefully to the ramp in a line. The breeze had picked up, streaming through Bucky and Natasha’s hair as if Tony had ordered it for a special effect.

“Whoa,” Sam muttered. He stopped so abruptly that Bucky very nearly ran into him. Natasha, a few steps ahead, turned back.

“Sam?”

He held up his smartphone. “Churros.”

Natasha walked back. She rolled her eyes. “Sam, you’re messing up our grand exit,” she mock-whispered.

Bucky peered over Sam’s shoulder. He couldn’t see anything because of the polarized privacy shield and the bright sunlight.

“MissingWords just posted on Twitter that there’s a limited edition churro at Downtown Disney today.”

“A… churro?” Bucky asked.

“Yeah, fried dough. And there’s all different kinds and you have to go to different parts of the park and collect them all to try .”

“You mean like a … funnel cake?” The word drifted up into Bucky’s mind from years ago. He thought he remembered eating funnel cakes at Coney Island, before ... everything....

“Not exactly, but they’re both good.”

Tony rapped on the edge of the Quinjet door. “Let’s go, team!”

They filed onto the Quinjet. Bucky settled into his chair, buckling up for the pre-flight.

Sam slumped into his chair, dejected. “I really want that churro.”

Tony raised his eyebrow at Sam. “A churro, when we have work to do?”

“Can we take a detour to Disneyland?” Sam begged. “It’s only this much out of our way!” He held up his thumb and finger.

Nat chuckled. “You said that last time we were on the road trip on I-10 across Texas and wanted to go to Big Bend.” She pretended to hold up a map in her hands. “Look, Nat, it’s only two hours out of the way!”

Sam narrowed his eyes. “It was only two hours from the Interstate. This is just 30 miles.”

Tony sighed. “I guess we can drop you off.”

“Thank you!” Sam high-fived Natasha across the aisle.

There were certain benefits to being an Avenger, Bucky decided. Having a Quinjet cut LA traffic time into ribbons. In no time at all the trio was deposited outside Downtown Disney, with a promise Tony would send the Quinjet back for them later.

“Where do you need to go?” Natasha asked Sam.

He flicked through his Twitter feed again. “Umm… California Company Churro Cart.” He looked at the map, then around at the signs on the shops. He held up his phone to orient the compass. “It’s, umm… that way.”  

“Then you’d better go.” She teasingly pushed him. Sam took off between a family with a stroller and a group of tourists holding out a selfie stick.

“Shall we?” Bucky asked.

“After you.” She held out her arm.

They managed to keep Sam just in sight. Sam was on a mission with his target acquired. While Sam waited in line, Natasha and Bucky looked into a shop window opposite the carts.

“Oh my gosh, look at that!” Nat pointed into the window next to them. There was a collection of Star Wars merchandise, including a row of orange and yellow stuffed birds with cloyingly large dark eyes. They looked hopefully up at the pair of superheroes. “It’s a shoulder porg! I have to buy one!”

Bucky frowned at Nat. “You want… a stuffed animal?” He remembered winning stuffed animals for his little sisters at Coney Island. He never imagined that Black Widow would want a stuffed animal. He cocked his head at the row of birds, with their upturned faces and little pouty mouths. Their unblinking eyes did look rather winsome.

Natasha looked back at Sam, who was hopping back and forth from foot to foot as he waited in the line for his churro. “We’ve got time. C’mon.” She beckoned him to follow her into the shop. She made a beeline for the shelf of birds. She looked into the faces of several identical birds. She reached for one, hesitated, then reached for another. She picked up the second bird, but almost as quickly put it back down.

How long was this going to take? Bucky sighed.

Finally after hefting various birds in her hand, she selected one. She wound her way through the racks of lanyards and souvenir shirts and hats to the central checkout counter.

“Do want to use your Magic Band?” the clerk inquired in a friendly tone.

“Not today, I left it at home,” Natasha apologized. Bucky blanched as she produced the Stark Industries purchasing card and put it into the chip reader. He expected Tony could afford it, but would the bean counters on the 22nd floor of Stark Tower get them audited?

The machine beeped and she put the card back into the pocket at her waist.

“Thank you for your purchase. Would you like me to cut the tags off for you?” the clerk offered.

“Oh yes, please,” Natasha responded, her red curls shaking.

The clerk produced a small pair of scissors, and freed the little bird from its tag. She handed the bird and its tag back to Natasha with the receipt. “Until the spires,” the clerk told them.

“May the Force be with you,” the assassin giggled.

Bucky wasn’t quite sure what that was all about, but nodded at the clerk as they left the counter.

“May I help the next customer?” the clerk asked behind them.

“I think I’ll name it Avenger,” Natasha mused as they wove in between the racks.

Bucky nodded. He thought it was a crazy name, but this whole shopping excursion was crazy. He wasn’t going to say anything, though.

Back outside the store, they could see Sam had just made it to the front of the line and was paying for his churro.

“So tell me what you do with that, again?” Bucky shifted on his feet.

Nat smiled as she waved the little bird in front of her. “You wear it on your shoulder, like a pirate has a parrot.” It beamed up at them with its big hopeful eyes and brown plush fur. No, feathers; It was a bird.

“Oh.” He didn’t know what else to say.

Nat looked at him, and at the bird, and in one swift move she reached out her arm. She dropped the bird on the rim of his metal shoulder. There was a clank as it snapped to his arm.

“Hah! It works!” she exclaimed.

Bucky narrowed his eyes. The small bird surveyed the crowds from its perch.  

“Got it!” Sam had arrived.  He held an enormous green churro, wrapped in a piece of white paper.

“What flavor is it?” Nat tipped her head.

“It’s pickle-flavored,” Sam replied. He took a bite. “It’s, umm… interesting,” he concluded. “But hey, when at Disney, you gotta collect them all.”

Sam paused mid-chew. He stared at Bucky’s metal arm. “Uh, Buck, you turning to a life on the High Seas, bud?”

“It’s a porg, silly.” Nat rolled her eyes.

“I know that, Nat, but why’s our man got one on his shoulder?”

“There selling them now, for Galaxy’s Edge!” Natasha pointed to the window full of Star Wars promotional items.

“That’s just marketing playing at your heart strings for some dumb movies.”

Natasha’s body went rigid. She took a step forward into Sam’s personal space. “We are not rehashing this argument.”

Bucky looked around for a place to hide in case the altercation got worse. Tony had to intervene after the last movie night discussion at Avengers Tower got overheated over the artistic and storytelling merits of ewoks versus wookiees.

Natasha locked eyes with Sam for a few heartbeats, then took a step back. “Speaking of marketing,” she purred, “are there any other churros you need to eat today while we’re here?”

Sam’s eyebrows went up. “Well actually, I would like to get the blue and silver churro outside Star Tours.”

“Let’s do this. We’ll be your wing men.” Natasha pointed toward the ticket booth.

A couple of young men in their 20s elbowed each other as they passed the trio. One whispered something as he looked pointedly at Bucky’s shoulder. The second guffawed.

Bucky sighed. He pulled half-heartedly at Avenger, who bobbed on his feet, but did not leave his perch.

At the ticket counter Natasha grinned and swiped the Stark Enterprises purchasing card again. Bucky was pretty sure they were going to get audited now.

Once on the monorail, Natasha pulled up the wait times on her phone. “Sweet! Wait time for the Matterhorn is only 20 minutes!” Natasha turned to Sam. “We gotta go.”

Sam rolled his eyes. “Probably because everyone’s at Galaxy’s Edge with the _porgs_.” His voice rolled on the last word.

Bucky twisted his mouth, and looked out the window. The monorail was pulling into the Tomorrowland station.  

Natasha pulled on their hands. “Come on, let’s go!” They exited the Tomorrowland station, cheerful electronic music fading in the distance.

A small girl stopped and pointed at his shoulder. “Porg, Mommy!” She tugged on the sleeve of the woman with her. He smiled a weak smile at the little girl as Nat and Sam disappeared into the crowds.   

Far ahead he could see the Matterhorn looming over the area. With his super hearing, he could hear a choir of accordions in the distance playing an intricate polka. He thought of East German beer halls and spinning in circles with a brown-eyed girl in a dirndl. He shook his head and the memory slipped away. The music grew louder as they approached.

They joined the twisting queue just as the piped-in music shifted to a man yodeling. Bucky took a deep breath, and scanned the crowd for threats. A cast member monitoring the line walked up to them. _Did she want something?_ She reached out her hand, fingers splayed neutrally. _Okay, not a threat._

“I’m sorry sir, but I should warn you that we recommend people remove their shoulder stuffies before riding this ride. Too many people have lost theirs.” She pointed to his porg.

Bucky looked down his shoulder. Avenger smiled beatifically at him from his perch.

“Nat….” he growled.

“Right.” She pulled on Avenger’s bottom. Nothing happened. She tugged again. “Umm… I’m worried I’m going to pull off his feet.”

“I thought the cast member said these things could fall off on the ride?” Sam asked.

Sam and Nat both tried pulling on it together.  

It merely slid around and around his arm. “I’m going to break a fingernail trying to pry this up,” Natasha complained. “It’s not Avenger’s magnet; your arm’s too strong.”

“Oh well, just leave it. We’re delaying the ride.” Bucky pointed to the line of people, which had moved a whole turn of the queue ahead of them.

When it was time to board, Natasha and Sam took the seat in front of Bucky, while he had the seat behind. Sam looked over his shoulder. “I haven’t done this in years, how ‘bout you?”

“First time,” Bucky replied. “Disneyland’s ‘bout ten years after my time.”

“Right.” Sam blinked. “We need to get you one of those First Trip to Disneyland buttons at Guest Services, Old Man.”

Nat’s eyes got big. “Dang, Sam, we _do_ need to do that.” She winked mischievously.

The bobsled jerked as it left the station. A disembodied voice announced, “Keep your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the bobsled. And be sure to watch your children. Auf Wiedersehen!”

 _Guess that covers porgs too._ Bucky took his good hand off the rail and put it over Avenger, holding him tight, while he braced on the rail with his metal arm.

“Wooooo!” Natasha held her hands up as the bobsled took off into the dark cavern.

Through all the twists and turns, Bucky held firmly onto Avenger. He jerked back and forth as the bobsled went this way and that, through the blue lights, into the open, back into the dark, and criss-crossing with the bobsled on the other track. He breathed a sigh of relief as the bobsled made its final splashdown and coasted into the station. Avenger still smiled hopefully from his shoulder.

He climbed out of his seat. Nat gave Sam a hand up as they climbed the platform. Once down the gangway, a woman with a boy about 6 years old came up to them.  “Excuse me, I’m sorry to bother you, but can my son have his picture with you? He’s a huge fan....”

Nat smiled at the boy and his guardian. “Of course!” She pointed to a nice planting of flowers and immaculate shrubs. “How about over here?” She took a few steps next to the boy.

The mother blanched. “Umm… Actually he was hoping to have a picture with Mr. Barnes and his porg, but you can be in the picture too.”

Sam laughed once and then immediately swallowed the rest when he saw Bucky’s face. Bucky felt a flush go up his face. He scowled harder to make up for it. Natasha nodded, biting her tongue. She held up her hands. “Of course.” She stepped to the side.

Bucky bent over to the boy, holding out his metal fist to the boy. “What’s your name?” he asked, as the boy gently touched his metal hand, awestruck.

“Dylan,” the boy whispered.

“So are you a bigger fan of Winter Soldier or Star Wars?” he asked gently.

“Both…” Dylan whispered.

Bucky crouched down next to Dylan so that his mom could get a picture on her smartphone.

“Got it!” she cried out.

“How ‘bout one with everyone?” Bucky asked. “Dylan, you wanta have a picture with Black Widow and Falcon, too? You’ll be the coolest kid at recess on Monday.”

Dylan nodded and Sam and Natasha joined the frame too. Sam beamed like an idiot. He’d have to think of a way to wipe the smirk off Sam’s face later.

The mother thanked them profusely, stumbling over her words as she hurried her son off, completely flustered.  

“Poor woman, _mama-medveditsa_ ,” Nat murmured, watching them go. She turned to Sam. “So, what now, more churros? How many churros can you eat before you barf on Space Mountain?”

Bucky kept one ear on Sam and Natasha’s banter, while scanning the crowds. You never knew who was out there. Over against a wall, someone thought they were being discreet while taking a picture of the trio on their smartphone. He nudged Natasha and flicked the sign to alert her to bogeys.

“You’re going to be all over Instagram tonight.” Natasha punched him playfully in the side.

Sam had just started eating his blue and silver churro when their phones beeped all at once. INCOMING MESSAGE: MISSION FROM S.H.I.E.L.D. RENDEVOUS ROOF @ MICKEY & FRIENDS PARKING STRUCTURE.

“Well, back to work,” Natasha sighed.

One tram ride and a couple flights of stairs later, they were back at the waiting Quinjet.  

“Welcome back,” the Quinjet pilot said. “There’s a briefing for you on the screens.” He pursed his lips when he saw Avenger, but turned back to his instrument panel for the pre-flight checklist.

“We gotta get this off me, Nat,” Bucky pleaded. “I can’t see Fury looking like this.”

“It’s a good look for you,” Sam shrugged. His eyes twinkled.

They finally managed to slide it off by holding another piece of metal just underneath Avenger, wedged into the tiny space made by the curve of his arm. Bucky set Avenger on the table, where he hopefully wouldn’t disrupt the instrumentation. He thought of the faces of the kids at Disneyland when they saw Avenger, and then he thought of the kids they had visited that morning at the hospital.

“I think I know who would like one of these,” he said. “Do you suppose they’d do mail order if we give them Tony’s purchasing card number?”

**Author's Note:**

> This plot bunny was inspired by twin conversations on the DisPorg and with my husband about the new "[shoulder porgs](https://wdwnt.com/2019/06/photos-new-star-wars-shoulder-porg-plush-lands-at-disney-parks/)" available for sale at Disneyland. An internet friend recently was lucky enough to purchase one, and it is stinking cute. This story is pure wish-fulfillment until I can get to Disney to get one of my own. 
> 
> This story is un-beta'd. If you spot any typos, please let me know.
> 
> For an illustration, see [my page on Pillowfort](https://www.pillowfort.social/posts/721551)


End file.
